Released: Friday 22nd June 2012

Scottish Lifesciences Association welcomes Scottish Government announcement on Innovation in Health

The Scottish Lifesciences Association (SLA) has welcomed the Statement of Intent made by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today on Innovation in Health.

The Statement was launched by Ms Sturgeon at the NHSScotland “Delivering Quality through Innovation” event in Glasgow for NHS staff. The Statement commits the NHS in Scotland to working in partnership with life sciences companies in Scotland to encourage the development and marketing of new products that meet NHS needs for innovative solutions. Business will benefit from knowing more about NHS needs earlier. The overall aims of the Health Innovation Partnerships are to help the NHS to make better and more cost effective use of innovative products to improve health, and to help businesses in Scotland to grow and thus offer more jobs in this key sector of the Scottish economy.

Dr John Brown CBE FRSE and Chair of the SLA, said:

“Our members from across the life sciences sector in Scotland understand the importance of the NHS as a driver of health innovation, as well as a market for their products. We very much welcome the commitment which the Government has made today to set up Health Innovation Partnerships between life sciences businesses and the NHS in Scotland, and to have them up and running by the beginning of next year. We will play our part in encouraging our 100 member companies to take this opportunity to develop products and services which meet NHS needs for innovation – it is a classic win-win situation”.

John Allan, MD of Alba Biosciences Ltd, an SLA member company, said:

"Like the SLA, Alba Biosciences is very supportive of this move by the Government to get the NHS more actively involved with companies in Scotland in developing innovative technologies. On behalf of its members, the SLA has been working closely with the Scottish Government for some time on developing this important proposal. Alba Biosciences looks forward to using the Health Innovation Partnership to better understand the NHS need for innovative technologies, and then develop solutions here in Scotland which will meet them.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Scott Johnstone, SLA Chief Executive, 0131 225 4628; mobile 07731 985 582.

Notes to editors

Scottish Lifesciences Association

The Scottish Lifesciences Association (SLA) is the industry body for life sciences in Scotland. The SLA’s 100 member companies include emerging and more established companies working the fields of Diagnostics and Medical Technologies; pharmaceutical services; drug and vaccine development; and research organisations. The SLA represents the interests of its members to a broad section of stakeholders, including Scottish and UK Governments and agencies, regulators, and the media. Our purpose is to help our member companies to grow their businesses in Scotland, in support of the industry aspiration to double turnover by 2020.